Flying Disc Ranch Dates
Flying Disc Ranch is renowned for growing some of the best tasting dates in America. Five of the varieties grown originated in North Africa and the Middle East: Medjhool (Morocco), Derrie (Iraq), Barhi (Iraq), Zahidi (Libya) and Deglet Noor (Algeria). Four seedling varieties are unique to the farm: Cire, Amber, Long Skinny, and Blonde Bombshell. Dates cannot be hybridized. That is why Robert started growing them in 1974. We have the following seasonal varieties for sale:
Medjhool: “The Queen of Dates.” Large, pillowy date. This date is one of the most well-known. Meaty, strong, satisfying flavor, quite sweet. $8/lb.
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Deglet Noor: Chewy, substantial, medium-sweet (so you can eat a lot of them!). This date has a nutty, brown sugar-like, complex flavor. Dry date. Also known as the “bread date.” Good keeper, very stable. $5/lb.
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Barhi: Succulent, sensual, luscious. Very little texture, extremely decadent, golden tan color. $7/lb.
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Yellow Barhi: Try these seasonal delights available September through October only. They are sweet and crunchy like an apple. $4/lb.
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Derrie: One of the strongest, most “date-y” flavors there is. Not as sweet as the medjhool but equally satisfying (sometimes the medjhool is too sweet for one’s taste) $6/lb.
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Zahidi: Just one of the best - the flavor and texture could appeal to anybody, even people who claim they don’t like dates. Considered by some to be “the butter date” for its light, buttery flavor and appearance. Put a case under your bed in case of climate or culinary emergency - these are good keepers. $4/lb.
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Khadrawi: Very delicious, chewy, caramely. Satisfying flavor. Would not be out of place in a box of chocolates. $8/lb.
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Ciré: a seedling date whose name stands for the initials of Robert’s four children: Colima, Ian, Rae, and Eric. Has an interesting texture, very granule, and aromatic kind of a flavor... light but distinct. $8/lb
Kustawi: Kind of a cross between a barhi and medjhool. Very sweet and rich flavor. Blocky shape. $8/lb.
Amber: Very sweet, cinnamon-strong flavor. $6/lb.
Unpollinated Derrie: This is not really a date. Kind of a novelty, it did not get pollinated so it did not grow into a date or develop a pit, but it formed a sort of fruit. Mild sweetness, nutty. Nice texture, not very sweet, soft, or big... but satisfying. $7/lb.
Seedling: These vary; our seedlings are oftentimes soft and unpredictable. It takes years to see the true character of the seedlings. Seedlings emerge when a seed falls and is allowed to grow and blossom. They just add to the diversity of the ranch. If someone has a liking to a seedling, they propagate it and a new variety emerges (such as our Ciré date). $6/lb.
Date Walnut Bar: A fantastic combo of oil-rich walnuts and luscious sweet dates. We use our dates and often our walnuts, too! Christina’s Aunt Marty has 100 walnut trees on her property in Upper Lake, California. $2/each
Coco Roll: Our dates rolled in Bob’s Red Mill untreated, shredded coconut. Anything with coconut is good! $6/lb.
Date Paste: Usually a combination of a dry date and a soft date, which gives it a workable consistency. Great for any kind of baking or raw food project; it makes a good base. How we make it: We send a trailer of dates to our friends at Jewel Date Company where they have a certified commercial kitchen. The dates go into a giant macerator which separates the pits and extracts the pulp... then they box up the paste and we pick it up and pay them for the service. $6/lb.
History of Dates:
Date palms (Phoenix dactalifera) are one of the oldest cultivated crops. They not only provide food but building material for houses and useful items for the home such as rugs, brooms, mattresses, shades, etc.
Phoenix palms are the largest species of grass found as far north as Eureka, California and South to the tropics. All female phoenix palms produce edible food. Dates are a cross between a grain and a fruit. Dates contain one of the highest nutritional food value of any food! Protein and minerals abound.
There are thousands of female date varieties worldwide. Every seed you plant furthers the diversity. 60% of the seedlings (palms that sprout from dropped seeds) will be male and 40% will be female, with each one being different from the next (and different from the parent).
To duplicate varieties, you must plant an offshoot (root cutting) of the variety desired. In other words, all Medjhool palms worldwide owe their origin to the first Medjhool female palm grown in Bau Deneb, Morocco in the 18th century. Medjhool was the last variety coming from North Africa in 1927. 16 palms were imported. 6 died the first winter. 9 were replanted in the Coachella Valley where they prosper today.
How to Keep Dates:
Dates like a cool and dry environment. After we harvest the dates, we keep them in a walk-in cooler on the ranch that is kept at 36 degrees F. Dates store well at room temperature depending on their moisture content. In general, zahidi and deglet noor dates need no refrigeration whereas medjhool and barhi store much better cold.
“The Best quality dates”
- Martha Stewart
“The Best North American
Source of Dates”
- French Chef Alan Ducasse
author of Harvesting Excellence
The #1 Choice of the LA Times
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